of westminster



A. T. DAWSON AND G. T. BUCKHAM.

MOUNTING FOR HIGH ANGLE ORDNANCE APPLICATION FILED AP11.13.1915.

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- UNrTED sTATEs PATENT' Omron.

ARTHUR TREVORDAWSON AND Geenen THOMAS 'Buckner/r,- oF. WESTMINSTER,LONDON, ENGLAND, AssIGNoEs To Vromans LIMITED,Y or WEsTM'VIN'sTER, LON-yDoit,A ENGLAND.

T yi4/.ZZ whom it may concern: y p Y Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR'Tnn'von DawsON, knight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects ofthe King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway,Vestminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain newand useful Improvements` in or Relating to Mountings for High-AngleOrdnance, of

l0 which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun mountings of the kind in which the gun canbe elevated from horizon to horizon, that is to say through an angle of180 degrees or more.

According to this invention we provide a rotary or stationary chamberbeneath the mounting for the purpose of enabling the gun to be loadedwhen iiring vertically or at large angles of elevation approaching thevertical Without the necessity of depressing the gun to a convenientloading position. This chamber 'also serves to receive the emptycartridge cases when the breech of the gun is contiguous to this chamberand furthermore enables the distance of the trunnions above the deck, inthe case of a naval mounting, and the distance above the ground in agarrison gun, to be reduced.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood'and readilycarried into eifect we will describe the same more fully with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which Figures l and 2 are respectively arear elevation and a side elevation illustrating in a more or lessdiagrammaticpmanner one constructional form of the invention, thechamber beneath the mounting being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing the gun elevated to an angleof ninety derees. g A is the gun, B, B are the trunnions and C, C arethe carriage side cheeks.

D represents the aforesaid chamber which, in the example shown, isattached to or made integral with the carriage cheeks and is carried bya bearing D let into the deck in a naval mounting or into the base platein the case of a garrison mountin the chamber in this case serves as thetraining pivot. If the chamber D be made stationary, that is unattachedto the carriage cheeks, it is let Specification of Letters Patent. -VDatemi-ged Oct. 14, Application mea Apiri 13, r9i5. serial' iro.`21,1211

MOUNTING FOR HIGH-ANGLE ODDNANCEL into the deck or base plate as abovestated, and the 'carriage cheeks may lthen carry a ring which isrotatably mounted at the top of the chamber. In both cases the chamberis made of substantial diameter so that a comparatively long recoil canbe obtained. The chamber D may be o'f such a depth that a gunner can beaccommodated therein to assist in loading the gun when the latter isapproaching the maximum angle of elevation. The top part of the saidchamber may be provided with a portable cover for the purpose of closingthe chamber when the mounting is not in use.

lThe carriage is adapted to be trained in any suitable manner through acomplete circle Vand the gun may be elevated by means of anapproximately semi-circular rack A attached to the gun cradle andmeshing with an elevating pinion A2 mounted in one of the carriage sidecheeks.

l/Vhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is l. The combination with a high angle gun mounting, of a fixedplatform by which said mounting is rotatably carried, a chamber arrangedbeneath said mounting and sunk beneath the level of the platform, saidchamber being made of such depth that a gunner can stand therein toassist in loading the gun when at high angles of elevation.

2. The combination with a high angle gun mounting having two cheeksbetween which the breech end of the gun is disposed when at high anglesof elevation, of a fixed platform by which said mounting is rotatablycarried, a chamber arranged beneath said mounting and open to the spacebetween the cheeks, said chamber being sunk beneath the level of theplatform and being made of such depth that a gunner can stand therein toassist in loading the gun when at high angles of elevation.

3. rlhe combination with a high angle gun mounting having two cheeksbetween which the breech end of the gun is disposed when at high anglesof elevation, of a fixed platform by which saidmounting is rotatablycarried, a chamber attached to and depending from said cheeks so as torotate therewith during training, said chamber being sunk beneath thelevel of the platform and being made of such depth that a gunner canstand therein to assist in loading the gun when at high angles ofelevation.

4C. The combination o'f a gun adapted to be red substantiallyvertically, odia pair of cheeks receiving the trunnions of the gun andupon which the gun may be turned on a horizontal aXis to elevate anddepress it, and a chamber located below the space between the cheeks andopen at its upper end, said chamber providing unobstructed space belowthe breech of the gun When the gun is elevated or depressed, permittingloading of the 'gun by inserting a shell into the breech from the spaceWithin the chamber While the gun remains trained substantiallyvertically. 15

In testimony Whereofrwe affix our signatures in the presence of twoWitnesses. ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM. Witnesses:

HENRY KING, J No. R. CASWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, D. C.

